Bat Boy – Film Screening and Talk presented by The Watch Hill Conservancy

This Halloween weekend, come hang with the bats! Join the Watch Hill Conservancy at the UNITED for Bat Boy, a touching and unexpected short film by Aaron Lemle that explores the beautiful connection between a-misunderstood autistic young man and the bats he loves. Then, get ready to go batty with Dr. Peter V. August as he presents Bats in Rhode Island: Their Natural History and Importance to Society. Discover the incredible diversity of bats around the world, learn about the bats in our own backyard, and uncover the surprising economic, ecological, and medical ways these gentle little mammals contribute to society. You may even leave wondering why we ever thought bats were scary! Following the presentation, don’t fly away, stick around for a short, bat-tastic Q&A all about bats!

Aaron Lemle is an independent film producer and director based in LA. He created the full-service production company, A Type Productions LLC that makes films for start-ups, non-profits, government organizations, and education and art institutions around the world. His films have been shown in notable festivals including San Diego International Film Festival, Palm Springs ShortFest, KCET Fine Cut, the San Francisco Doc Fest and have been broadcast on PBS POV. 

Peter August is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island. He holds a B.S. degree (Biology) from the University of San Diego, an M.S. degree (Biology) from Texas Tech University, and a Ph.D. degree (Biology) from Boston University. His dissertation topic was community ecology of small mammals and bats in tropical forests of Venezuela. He has been a science advisor for the Napatree Point Conservation Area in Watch Hill since 2010 and in 2024 August, co-authored the book Napatree Point: a Decade of Stewardship.